Events or processes are observed and described by effects, which can be described by measuring the values of certain physical or chemical parameters at a certain time and at certain locations in space. Generally the data acquired from these measurements is useful for determining the current condition of the evolutionary story of the event or process, but also for predicting what the future consequences will most probably be starting from the measured data. The consequences will also be effects, which can be described by measured values of physical and/or chemical parameters.
Giving an answer to the above problem is relevant for enhancing the cognitive capacities of devices having a certain artificial intelligence. Indeed, the most challenging technical problem of artificial intelligence is providing means that allow a device having artificial intelligence to evaluate measured data for determining most probable consequences, and thus taking decisions on how to react to the measured data. This problem is simple until the relationship between the measured data and the space/time evolution of an event or process can be expressed with exact equations. Human intelligence however is provided with a skill which allows extracting probable consequences from data apparently not clearly related one to the other. The way of determining these consequences is highly non linear and non deterministic, so it is not a direct way to implement or try and simulate such skills in a device even if at a very primitive level.
Many events or processes can be described by a map, in which characteristic data are represented by points in the map, and in which the data relate to the measured values of physical and or chemical parameters univocally describing the status at a certain time at which the measurement has been carried out.
During the evolution of the event or process the parameter changes, and since no clear relationship can be determined between the single parameters, it is not evident what consequences such changes will have in the future.